Your Kathmandu tour will start with a visit to the Seven Women headquarters in Kathmandu, where you will meet some of the women of Seven Women and hear the stories of how this social enterprise has made such a massive difference in Nepal. The group will learn about how Seven Women began and has grown from 7 women to now assisting more than 1,000 women. During this In Focus workshop, you will learn how to make a felt ball key ring by hand. You’ll have a producer assist you as you create and gain a better appreciation for the work that goes into creating handmade items. Alongside this, you’ll learn about the principles of fair trade and how fair trade products are made.
After the workshop, you’ll get to visit the Seven Women fair trade gift shop to see the whole range of handmade crafts produced by the women, which are then exported to support the enterprise. You’ll also get to take home the personal souvenirs you made during the workshop.
Start your tour by visiting the Dakshinkali Temple, dedicated to Hindu Goddess Kali, which is the fearful form of Lord Siva’s consort, Parvati. The main deity in the temple is the black stone, six-armed form of Kali, standing on a prostrated figure. Dakshinkali is at the south end of the valley between two hills and at the confluence of two rivers. Sacrifices are made two times a week at this temple. Saturday is the main day of animal sacrifices and a less important day is Tuesday.
Continue your tour and proceed to Chovar gorge, the only outlet for all the water of the valley. Legend has it that Manjushree, an ancient saint from China, cut the mountain with his magical sword to drain out the water from the Kathmandu Valley Lake to make it habitable. There is a small but picturesque temple of Adinath on the top of the hill with a magnificent view of the snowcapped peaks. Just beyond the gorge is a temple of Lord Ganesh. The main image of the shrine is a massive rock, naturally carved.
The tour ends with the visit of Kirtipur town, perched on twin hillocks and clinging to a saddle about 5 km southwest of Kathmandu. A long flight of steps leads up to Kirtipur from the valley floor & a motor able road goes part way up the hill. Steep paths link brick houses built on terraces are the main attraction here. The villagers dressed in traditional costume working on ancient looms are also sighted. The people here are well known for their strength and valor as many historical battles were fought and won by the inhabitants of Kirtipur. Post completion of the tour, you shall be transferred back to your hotel of stay.
There are some who say travel is about going places and doing things. When it comes to Patan and Bhaktapur, it’s simply about ‘being there’. It’s easy to just explore Kathmandu, but we want to encourage you to discover the Kathmandu Valley’s two other former kingdoms – Patan and Bhaktapur. Between the buzzing markets, the artistry of the age-old temples and palaces, and the medieval feel of both cities, you’ll be sure to leave Nepal with a much deeper understanding of this incredible place.
We’ll take you on a tour from Kathmandu into another world, first to Patan, about a half an hour’s drive away. As you enter the ancient city, you’ll be taken aback by the vivid contrast to Kathmandu. Although these days Patan is part of the sprawl of the Kathmandu conurbation, Patan has an identify of its own, including the Centre of Sanskrit Learning (hence why you may see and hear of Patan by its Sanskrit name, Lalitpur, meaning City of Living Art).
The influences in Patan have transcended centuries, perhaps culminating in the 12th to 16th Century era of the Mallas and their extraordinarily creative Newar civilization. Surrounding the city’s main square are noble royal and religious structures, which highlight the Hindu pantheon, mainly of Vishnu, Brahma, and Shiva. Additionally, you’ll have the opportunity to explore Patan’s excellent museum that features some superb artifacts from both Buddhist and Hindu traditions, leaving you well informed of the glories of the past and the span of civilizations that have flourished and competed here in the Himalayas.
Leaving Patan behind, we’ll head for the medieval city of Bhaktapur, which will take us about 45 minutes. As if held in a time warp, the little city of Bhaktapur amazes everyone. Upon entering this ‘City of Devotees’, you’ll quickly realise that you have entered a time of feudal ways and medieval street-scenes, with a uniquely magical ambiance that confidently eschews modernity for tradition. Bhaktapur is also a place where your eyes naturally want to shift skyward towards the pagoda rooftops, but don’t forget to come back down to earth to peer down bustling ancient alleyways. Challenge yourself to keep still and absorb the activity around you. As we like to say - all one’s five senses are employed, and then add to that a sixth sense – one of idle exploration!
Visit the Bhaktapur, which translates as the City of Devotees, and is considered as a museum of medieval art and architecture with many fine examples of sculpture, woodcarving and colossal pagoda temples consecrated to different gods and goddesses. Lying 14 km east of Kathmandu city, this place was founded in the 9th century and is shaped like a conch shell - one of the emblems of the god Vishnu. It is situated at the height of 4,600 ft above sea level.
Here you will visit the Durbar Square with its array of temples, Palace of 55 Windows built by King Bhupatindra Malla. The Nyatapola temple also built by King Bhupatindra Malla is one of the best example of Pagoda style architecture and features 5 colossal steps on each of which stands a pair of figures two famous strong men, two elephants, two lions, two griffins and two goddesses. Post completion of the tour, you shall be transferred back to your hotel of stay.
Royalty and religion take centre stage during this intriguing full day tour of Kathmandu’s palaces and temples. Worlds of pomp and glory, of colour and beauty will come alive before your eyes. See priceless treasures, venerable prayer flags and ancient rituals as you immerse yourself in traditional Nepalese life. Lunch in a typical local restaurant is included.
Your first stop is Patan Durbar Square, the centrepiece of which is the palace where the Malla monarchs who ruled Nepal for six centuries resided. Explore this stunning complex, which boasts a series of beautiful courtyards, temples and shrines, all noted for their exquisite carvings. See the Krishna Temple and Rudra Varna Mahavihar, the Buddhist monastery housing many treasures. Head to the Swayambhu Stupa, which is reached via 365 steps, where on a clear day you can enjoy panoramic views of Kathmandu and far beyond.
At the Baudhannath Stupa, meet the local Tibetan community. See traditional prayer rolls and Tibetan prayer flags. Lunch will be served at this relaxing and quiet location. The last stop is the impressive Pashupati Temple of Lord Shiva. You are free to explore the temple grounds and admire the architecture. Colourful priests known as ‘babas’ wander about while cremation ceremonies take place on the banks of the Bagmati River.
Paragliding in Nepal amongst the grandest scenery on earth is an inspiring experience. Float over mystery, shrouded monasteries, and ancient places, beautiful turquoise lakes, ranging Himalayan Rivers, exotic jungle, and village forgotten by time. It involves a pilot flying with a passenger. Both of them have separate harness that is attached to each other and the wing. Paragliding harness are built for comfort and safety, they feel more like an armchair. After take-off, the passenger just sits back, relaxes, and takes in the epic scenery. Even taking picture is not a problem. Para gliders can foot launch and gently foot land again and are very portable. We can take them anywhere and fly from most mountains in Nepal. < br/>< br/> Annapurna Panorama Flights: we take 20 minutes drive from Pokhara uphill to Sarangkot view point 2000 ft above Lakeside. This is where we take off. From here, we can see three highest mountains in the world, Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and Manaslu all are over 8000 meters. < br/> Cloud Buster (Panorama Tandem flight): This midday flight gives you the thrill of high flights as we thermal up above Sarangkot in the company of eagles and vultures, 20-30 minutes. We land by the lake. < br/> Cross Country: This flight is designed to give you the chance to experience flying from one valley to another. Using thermals, clouds and birds to guide us, we take you an unforgettable journey north of Pokhara towards the big mountains. We fly for 1 hour approximately.
In the morning you will be picked-up at your hotel by our driver and guide. Our drive leads us approximately 16 kilometres to the south of Kathmandu. We drive on the road leading to the Dakshinkali Temple, but get out of the car at the Pharping Monastery. This Buddhist monastery is located at the foot of Champadevi Hill. From the monastery we continue to the charming village of Pharping, where our Hike starts. Our way uphill starts with a path winding through pineforests. After about three hours we reach the 2285 metre high Champadevi peak. There is a magnificent view of the central and western Himalayan Range on a clear day.
After enjoying lunch at the peak, we will continue our hike down to Hattiban, where our driver will be waiting to drive you back to Kathmandu. Champadevi is situated at an altitude of 2285 m south - west of Kathmandu, known as a pilgrimage site. This place is famous having a Buddhist stupa and a Hindu shrine where many devotees visit this place on full moon day.
Meeting/ Pick up point: Hotel.
Duration: 8 hours.
Start or opening time: 9.00am.
End or closing time: 5.00pm.
Languages: English Speaking Guide.
The other great stupa of the Valley and indeed, the largest in all of Nepal, is BODHANATH stupa. It is situated on the flat land to the east of the Valley. BODHANATH'S great size and its red, white and blue – painted eyes give it a striking appearance. The great stupa of Bodnath was built in fifth century. The site around the present day stupa was an overnight camp of Tibetan businessmen. The Tibetan Merchants used to offer prayer at the site where there is stupa now. Today it is the principal centers of Tibetan culture outside of Tibet. Several Buddhist monasteries have been built up recently in the immediate vicinities of Boudhanath.
The periphery around the stupa is also popular for Tibetan Jewelry, hand-woven carpets, thankas, masks, khukuri knives and many more Tibetan products. A whole day can be spent over here observing the beauty of this huge stupa from different view –angles and the roof top restaurants.
Pashupatinath is Nepal’s most sacred Hindu shrine and one of the subcontinent’s great Shiva sites. The supreme holiness of the site stems from the Shiva lingam enshrined in its main temple and its location. It expresses the very essence of Hinduism as pilgrims, priests, devotes, temples, ashrams, images, inscriptions and cremation ghats intermingle with the rituals of daily life, all sprawled along the banks of the sacred Bagmati River. The temple’s origins are obscure, an inscription dates from 477, but a shrine may have stood here for 1000 years before that. Non Hindu are not allowed to enter premised of the temple.
Pick up/Meeting point: hotel lobby at 9.00am and 2.00pm
Duration: 3-4 hrs.
Start or opening time:9:30am, 2:30pm
End or closing time:1.00pm, 6.00pm
Languages:English
Others: Entrance Fees no included.
Visit the ancient city of Patan, which happened to be a kingdom in itself once and is situated across the Bagmati River to the south of Kathmandu. The tour includes visit of Patan Durbar Square, temples and courtyards of Royal Palace.
The Durbar Square offers the finest display of Newari urban architecture in Nepal. The temples here devoted to Shiva, Krishna, Ganesh and Vishnu are actively visited by residents and visitors. At the northern end of the square the ancient sunken water tap has been restored and is still in use with young girls filling huge jugs from the carved stone waterspouts. The courtyards of the Royal Palace with their ornamented windows, columned arcades, shrines and sunken royal bath are amongst the loveliest in all Kathmandu.
Post completion of the tour, you shall be transferred back to your hotel of stay.
The Mountain flight at Kathmandu is very popular among the visitors to Nepal. For those who are short of time, not inclined to go trekking, or would like an aerial view of the Himalayas, this flight comes as the best option that allow you to get captivated with the snow-capped peaks in all their glory. Flights take off from the Kathmandu airport in the early morning on this exciting experience. This flight is one of the world’s most exclusive tours, truly, a lifetime experience. A flight that takes you deep into the Himalayas, flying into valleys close to the rock face where one can see the stunning beauty of nature; raw, undiluted and truly majestic.
Travel to the top of the world's largest mountain range the easy way on this scenic flight over Mount Everest, Lhotse, and Makalu. View of the Himalaya is very much worth the effort, this we have to confess is not for everyone, due to the physical and time requirements. Everest View flight is meant especially for those who don’t want to leave Nepal without touching the sacred and majestic Himalaya.
Experience spectacular views of the Himalayas on this essential tour and encounter the tallest mountains in the world, giving you spectacular views of Mount Everest (8848m), Kanchenjunga (8586m) and others. The first ones to come to view are the peaks straight north of Kathmandu Valley, starting with the 8013m high Shisha Pangma, the 14th highest mountain in the world, which is actually located in Tibet, a few kilometers from the border. Then come a series of several smaller peaks beginning with Dorje Lakpa (6966m) which looks like the figure eight and is located on the eastern edge of Langtang National Park, followed by Phurbi Ghyachu (6637m) on its right, the 5970m Choba Bhamare which remains unconquered, Gauri Shankar (7134m) named after Lord Shiva and his consort, Melungtse (7181m) all part of the Rolwaling range.